Method of reproducing fabrics



March 19, 1935. M, EB ANG v 1,994,775

METHOD OF REPRODUCING FABRICS Filed July 13, 1932 ATTORNEY;

Patented Mar. 19 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIL'ICE METHOD OF,REPRQDUCING FABRICS Mack Leblang, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to HazardAdvertising Corporation, New York,: N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication July 13, 1932, Serial No. 622,211

7 Claims. (01. 101-211) This invention relates to the production ofmanner may possibly give a correct representation printed illustrationsof merchandise for use in of the color, the illustration does not havethe apadvertising folders, catalogues, and the like. pearance of a pieceof stocking material, because More particularly, the invention isconcerned with the gauge is not visible.

a novel method of producing illustrations in color Various other methodshave also been tried in 5 of knitted or woven goods, and particularlysuch connection with the production of printed illusgoods as have anirregular surface which cantrations of sto kings, but none of thesemethods not be accurately reproduced in illustrations made producessatis actory results, so far as I am aware, by ordinary methodsheretofore employed. The the principal deficiency being that theillustra- 10 new method offers special advantages in contions so made donot resemble stocking goods 10 nection with the illustration of thecolors in which in appearance. Also, these methods are expensilkstockings are made up, and an adaptation of sive to use because thecolors are produced by the invention for that purpose will'be describedin mixing of inks to achieve each individual shade detail for purposesof explanation, though it is and a folder which'is to have severalillustrations to be understood that the utility of the invention indiiferent colors must go through the press 15 is not limited to theillustration of that particular once for each illustration.

material. r In order to overcome these difficulties, I have At thepresent time, it is the custom for manudevised a new method of producingillustrations facturers of stockings to supply their product in of suchmaterials as stoc in by which illusmany different colors, those colorsnow enjoying trations can be made which can be distinguished 20 thewidest popularity being light shades, for ex from samples of the goodsonly upon close inample, of brown. While the different shades arespection. The new method is relatively simple designated by names, thedifferences between the to practice, involves substantially no moreexshades are so slight that the names have little pense than the oldfour color process, and is 5 significance to the average purchaser.Accordsuperior thereto in the results obtained. ingly, in sending outsales literature relative to For a better understanding of theinvention, their stockings, the manufacturers supply jobbers referencewill be made to the accompanying and other large purchasers with samplecards on d w in which I which swatches of the goods are attached but i 1is n enlarged face w Of a portion of the cost of thematerial and of thelabor in preone printing plate used in practicing the new 30 paring thecards or folders prevents the wide processri p a being us d to p t thgau distribution of the cards among consumers for Fig. 2 is a sectionalview through the plate advertising purposes. If amanufacturer couldshown in Fig. l; I economically distribute folders containing printedFigs. 3, 4, and 5- are enlarged face views of illustrations in colorwhich show thedifferent portions of color plates used, and V 35 shadesof the stockings and resemble the knitted g, 6 is sectional w Of One theplates material in appearance, his sales would undoubtshown in Figs- 4,a edly increase, but heretofore no satisfactory In p act wp s s in the Dprocess of producing such illustrations has been tion of coloredillustrations of stockings, a num- 40 available. l ber of printingplates are first prepared, one of 40 Attempts have been made heretoforeto produce these plates being used to print the gauge lines p tedlustrations in color of stockings, for and the others to apply thecombinations of colors example, by the four color process,'but whenrequired to produce the actual color and shade that process is used, theresulting illustration is of the goods. In many instances, a gauge platefar from satisfactory because it contains no clean and two color platesare enough, but in others, and sharp delineation of the individualthreads it s necessary to p y three or ou 0010 7 h of the goods, whichis commonly replates to obtain the desired effect. These several ferredto as the gauge. In four color work, as p te y adva ta u made y p otoiswell known, the plates used print a multiplicity n ravin p s h ua p p tf of fine dots, the size and combination of which individual platesbeing largely in accordance with 50 produces the difierent colorsdesired. In the case standard practice. of stockings, however, it is notpossible to obtain The gauge Plate is made d ec om the fabric a sharplydefined illustration of the gauge by and for this purpose a piece of thestocking is means of plates produced by the four color illuminated bothfrom the front and rear and a process, and while anillustrationproducedinthis line negat v is m d n h ordinary y- In 55 the exposure ofthe photographic medium, lighting of the stocking from front and rear isnecessary to cause the gauge lines to be well defined and I have foundthat best results are obtained when the illumination is arranged so thatabout three-quarters of the light comes from behind and through thestocking and one-quarter of the light illuminates its face. After makingthe line negative, a contact positive is made therefromand the variousother well-known operations including etching are carried on to producea printing plate from the positive, the plate having lines on itsprinting face corresponding to the lines of the gauge in reverse. Theprinting face of this plate is illustrated in Fig. 1 in which the raisedportions 10 of the plate carry the printing ink.

For some colors, it is sufficient to produce a line negative of thegauge and a contact positive therefrom, with the printing plate producedfrom the positive in the manner described. For other colors, tintingmust be employed to obtain the correct final color. Forthis purpose, aline negative and a contact positive are made in the us'ualway. Anegative is then made of a plain white surface through a screen. Thisnegative is then placed against the face of the contact positive and ametalplate having a sensitized surface is exposed to the positive andthe negative made through the screen. The printing areas on the plateare thus'filled with dots instead of being solid. The intensity of theexposure through the screen will depend on the color of the material'tobe reproduced and the making of the negative fromthe screen will be inaccordance with standard practice known'to any person skilled in theart.

The other printing plates used for making the illustrations are forcolor purposes and the production of each plate involves photographing aplain white surface through a screen having rows of dots. The intensityof the exposure through the screen in each case will depend on thedesired final color effect and the particular color which is to beprinted from the plate made from the screen. r v I Each color plate somade, as for example, that illustrated in Fig. 6, has dots 11 thereon inrows, the tops of the dots carrying the ink. The plates 12, 13, and 14to be used in making the same illustration have their rows of dots atdifferent angles, as shown, and this is accomplished by tilting thescreens to different pos'itionswhen the negatives are made. When thegauge plate is tinted, the screen is applied in a different positionfrom those used in makingthe color plates.

Upon completion of the plates proofs are made therefrom in theusual'way, the color plates being preferably printed first and the gaugeplate last. If the plates are not found satisfactory for the productionof the desired color, corrections are made, as for example the platesmay be altered by hand by cutting down the size of the dots or byburnishing the plates to spread the dots. If necessary, one or more newcolor plates may be made, although ordinarily a skilled workman will beable to make plates'to produce the desired color without difficulty.

Upon completion of the plates, a transfer is made from the gauge plateand from thisis made an embossing die. This is to be used for embossingthe printed illustration and it is so prepared that the embossedillustration gives the same effect as the actual stocking.

In producing an illustration, the plates are inked with the propercolors and. the surface on which-the illustration is toappear receivesanshade of brown varying with the shade of the stocking material. Eventhough the ink employed on the line or gauge plate is of the same shade,oris closely similar to that of the stocking,

the lines will be visible because the dot plates merely produce abackground of a single shade,

whereas the line orgauge plate prints lines on that background. However,if desired, the color of the ink used-on the line or gauge plate may bea shade slightly, darker than that of the background. The illustrationis then embossed'by an embossing die having recesses corresponding tothe lines of the line or gauge plate to impart to theillustration thesame color effect as the stocking, the gauge lines are visible as in thegoods, and the gauge-lines stand out because of the embossing. Asaresult of these several factors, the illustration closely resembles an"actual sample of the goods and the difference can'bef'detected onlyupon close inspection. 7 Withmy processfand using inks of-the sam'e fourcolors, it is possible to'obtainrnany-distinct shades inftheillustrations by varying the sizes of the dots on the plates. Three. orfour plates must be made for each illustration, but similar plates forall illustrations may be printed'at the same time and from the same ink,so thata card having illustrationsrepresenting many different stockingsmaybe printed simultaneously from the adapted to produce arepresentation in color of,

the lines of thematerial appearing in 'saidnegative', preparingcolorprinting plates provided 'with printing dots arrangedin rows,"thean'gles of the rows differing in'the'different plates; subjectingthe surfacewhich is to carrythe illustration {to impressions fromsaid-color plates'successively, each plate being inked a differentcolor, printing on said surface from said first platefand deforming saidsurface to make it conform to the character 'of the surfaceofSaidmaterial.

' 2. Ajmethod of }making printed illustrations in color of materials,which comprises preparing a line negative" of the materialilluminatedfpartly from the front and partly from therear, prepar-' inga positive from said negative, making a printing plate from saidpositive, said 'plate being adapted to produce a representation in onecolor ortne lines of the material appearing in said negative, preparingcolor printing plates provided withprinting dots arranged in rows, theanglesof therows differing in the differentplates, preparing anembossingdie fromsaid first platje, said die having recessescorresponding to said lines, subjecting the surfaoewhich is tocarry the'illuse 'tration' t'o impressions from" said color-printing platessuccessively, said color-printing plates being inked different colors,subjecting said surface to impressionsfrom the 'line plate, andembossing said printedsurface. j jg v 3. 'A method of 'makingprintedcolore'd illustrations of a fabric, which comprises preparing aline negative 'of' the fabric illuminated partly from the front andpartly from the rear, preparing a positive from said negative, exposinga sensitized metal surface to said positive through a screen, treatingsaid plate to prepare it for use in printing, preparing color printingplates provided with printing dots arranged in rows at different angles,subjecting the surface which is to carry the illustration to impressionsfrom said color plates successively, each plate being inked a diiferentcolor, printing on said surface from said first plate, and embossingsaid printed surface to give it surface irregularities corresponding tothose of said fabric.

4. The method of making printed illustrations of fabrics such asstocking material in the color of the material, which comprisesilluminating the texture of the material partly from the front andpartly from the rear, photographically reproducing the texture of thematerial While it is so illuminated to form a negative showing the gaugelines of the material, preparing a positive printing plate from saidnegative, preparing color printing plates provided with printing dotsarranged in rows, the angles of the rows diifering in the differentplates, subjecting the surface which is to carry' the illustration toimpressions from said color-printing plates successively, saidcolor-printing plates being inked different colors, and subjecting saidsurface to impressions from the line plate.

5. The method of making printed illustrations of fabrics such asstocking material in the color of the material, Which comprisesilluminating the texture of the material partly from the front andpartly from the rear, photographically reproducing the texture of thematerial while it is so illuminated to form a negative showing the gaugelines of the material, preparing a positive printing plate from saidnegative, preparing color printing plates provided with printing dotsarranged in rows, the angles of the rows differing in the differentplates, subjecting the surface which is to carry the illustration toimpressions from said color-printing plates successively, saidcolor-printing plates being inked different colors, subjecting saidsurface to impressions from the line plate, and deforming said surfaceto give it surface irregularities to conform to those of the material.

6. The method of making printed illustrations of fabrics such asstocking material in the color of the material, which comprisesilluminating the texture of the material partly from the front andpartly from the rear, photographically reproducing the texture of thematerial while it is so illuminated to form a negative showing the gaugelines of the material, preparing a positive printing plate from saidnegative, preparing color printing plates provided with printing dotsarranged in'rows, the angles of the rows differing in the differentplates, subjecting the surface which is to carry the illustration toimpressions from said color-printing plates successively, saidcolor-printing plates being inked different colors, subjectingsaidsurface to impressions from the line plate, and embossing said surfaceto make it conform to that of said material.

7. The method of making printed illustrations of fabrics such asstocking material in the color of the material, which comprisesilluminating the texture of the material partly from the front andpartly from the rear, photographically reproducing the texture of thematerial While it is so illuminated to form a negative showing the gaugelines of the material, preparing a positive printing plate from saidnegative, preparing color printing plates provided with dots arranged inrows, the angles of the rows diifering in the different plates,subjecting the surface which is to carry the illustration to impressionsfrom said color-printing plates successively, said colorprinting platesbeing inked different colors, and thereafter subjecting said surface toimpressions from the line plate.

MACK LEBLANG.

